Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes' story in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brought about new respect and friendship between the two. That teamwork and camaraderie came courtesy of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s on-screen dynamic. Of course, their off-screen dynamic is quite different from Wilson and Barnes'. They have a strong brotherhood that fans have continued to witness off-screen too. The latest example came courtesy of Mackie as he sent his co-star a great message on his birthday.
Given how tight the MCU family is, it’s no surprise that Anthony Mackie decided to acknowledge Sebastian Stan on his recent a special occasion. The Captain America 4 star took to his Instagram to give Stan a nice birthday shout-out. Mackie shared a post with his Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star on his special day:
It was nice to see Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s bond is still strong after the conclusion of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+. Hopefully, Stan felt special knowing Mackie was thinking about his birthday and even shared that poignant post that included a message about the Avenger Boyz.
Sebastian Stan, remember that time I had to tell you I love you from 2 meters away?! Happy Birthday Playa… you are truly the vanilla ice cream in my ice cream sandwich! #AvengerBoyzForLife
The Captain America 4 star’s Instagram shout-out shouldn’t come as a surprise. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan have shown on multiple occasions how close they are. It was most evident during Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s promotional run as they gabbed about topics ranging from Sam and Bucky’s text messages or Mackie’s almost run-in with Prince. Before the series finale aired, the two MCU stars also shared an adorable exchange on Instagram. The Disney+ series seemed to further cement their friendship formed over their shared MCU experience.
The Falcon and the Winter Solider may not be the end of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's on-screen time. Stan proposed, shortly before the finale, that he and Mackie team up for another television project. Some fans want that friendship to go further, though Mackie hasn’t been too keen on some fans taking Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes’ chemistry too far. He has a love for Stan, but fans trying to ship the two Marvel characters together he feels sullies the partnership they've built. So, The Woman in the Window star wants to keep his and Stan’s on-screen relationship at a platonic level. Given Mackie’s previous comments, the fan shipping didn’t ruin his friendship with the Pam & Tommy star.
Now, Sebastian Stan knows how much Anthony Mackie cherishes their friendship. With Mackie officially taking over the Captain America mantle, maybe he can convince Stan to pop up in Captain America 4. If you want to see Stan and Mackie growing closer over time, you can watch their Marvel films as well as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+.
